Vehicle-spring.



Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

. and useful ,Springs of which the following is a speci- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. HOOVER, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA,v ASSIGNOB. TOHOOVERFAUXILIARYV.

SPRING COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF `CALI VEHICLE-SPRING.

Patented oet. 2o, 1914.

Application tiled November 6, 1911. Serial No. 658,778.

To all whom 'it may concern: A

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. HOOVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fresno, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented certain new Improvements in Vehicleication, reference being had to thc acconr' panying drawings.

'l his invention relates to`improvements 'in vehicle springs and particularly to improvements in vehicle springs of that gene .eral type called elliptic springs; and an object of this invention is 'to provide means for supporting the main spring during both its'downward and'upward movements and in limiting the' same.

vAnother object of this invention is to pro` vide an elliptic .spring with simple and eilicient means for absorbing the recoil aiid preventing shocks and jolts due, for example, to inequalities in the roadway.

A third object of this invention is the provision of means for strengthening an elliptic spring to resist excessive deforma- -tion under an overload without in any de` dumng recoil or rebound;Y and Fig. 3 is a detail showing in elevation an end of amodiied f orm of my new spring.

The main semi-elliptic spring a is made up of a series of leaves I; each shorter than the one which overlies it, as is usual in this type of vehicle spring. One end of the main semi-elliptic spring a is pivotally connected at one end with the chassis or frame member c, while its other end is connected therewith by means of a link d. Beneath the semi-elliptic spring there is arranged an auxiliary spring e, after. the manner illustrated and described in the patent rgranted me August 13, 1907, No. 862,917.

As is shown and described in that patent, the main and auxiliary springs are' connected together by a centrally-disposed bolt f and by means of U-shapedclips g the ends of which are anchored in the block h, in which is carried the axle ende'.l

Above the main spring a, there is arranged .a recoil spring which may be la single spring but which is preferably two-part, as shown. 'The parts j of this recoil spring are identical in construction and are preferably built up'of a plurality of leaves, al

Athough each may comprise only a single leaf. Near the center of each recoil spring j there is Vfastened a hanger-block k, in which is pivotally fastened the upper ends of a pair of'links m the lower ends of which are pivotally fastened to an end of one of the leavesof the auxiliary spring e. The outer end of each part j of the recoil spring -is forked and is connected byA passing a bolt .n through this forked end and an eyeV formed on one'of the Aleaves of the main spring a. Just above the center of the main spring there is fastened lto the chassis or frame' member, c the upper ends of apair of bracket plates or hanger'plates o thelower ends of which carry a shaft p on which is mounted a cylindrical block g. The latter is preferably of rubber or like resilient mai Vand furnishes a Vyielding` base which resists the delecting force at that time, supports the main springand prevents pivotal ,strain at the base thereof. .The deflection of he main spring is gradually lessened, the extent of its downward stroke is shortened, cilicicnt support isV given when support is iiost needed and a violent rebound is in a in .as-

ure prevented by this auxiliary' spring."

During recoil or rebound, the auxiliary spring e supports the recoil spring j and prevents violent jolts or shocks which' might otherwise occur. The action of the rccoi'l spring 1' 1n limiting the upward movement of the chassis c will be obvious from a study of Fig. 2 without further description. In

the modified form shown in Fig. 3., the top leaf of the recoil ,spring j is connected to the upper endsvofithelinks m and the block lf: is dispensed with.

' 'I claim: i

1. A vehiclevsp'ring comprising a. main spring; a recoil spring fastened thereto at Y its outer end and free at its innerfend; an

auxiliary spring; and a device which fastens the inner'end of said recoil spring-to said auxiliary spring and transmits the vibrations of one to the other thereof; said inain springbeing interposed between said lrecoil and auxiliary springs? 2. A vehicle spring comprising a main spring; a recoil spring fastened thereto at its outer lend-and free at its inner end; an auxiliary spring free at its outer end and fastened to said main spring .near the center thereof; and a de vice which fastens the free ends. of said recoil and auxiliary spring togeitherv and transmits the vibrations of one to the otl'ierthereol'; said main spring'being interposed between said-recoil and auxiliary springs. f

3. A vehiclespring having an auxiliary spring; a two-part recoil spring the inner opposed .ends ofthe parts of which are con- -nected with said auxiliary spring; and a main spring interposed between said springs. 4. A vehicle Spring having an auxiliary spring; a twopart -recoil spring the inner `opposed ends ofthe parts of which areconnected with said auxiliary spring; and a. inain spring interposed between said springs and connected withV the outer ends of the parts of said recoil spring.

.5. A vehicle spring comprising a inain spring; aA flat recoil spring fastened thereto .at its outer end and extending lengthwise of said inain spring and .having its inner end free; and a flexible suspenscry device which isconnected to the free end of said recoil Aspring and is adapted to suspend the same lengthwise thereof and fastene at its outer ends thereto; and a. sling which connects the inner opposed free ends of said recoil spring and is adapted to suspend the same froni the vehicle frame.

8.'A vehicle spring having a inain spring;

a flat two-part recoil spring extending lengthwise thereof and fastened at its outer" ends thereto; and a slidable suspensory device 'looped through the free inner opposed ends ofsaid recoil spring, and adapted to sling the same upon the vehicle frame.

9. The combination with a vehicle having a in an spring;l a flat two-part recoil spring extending lengthwise thereof and fastened at' its outer ends thereto; and a sling which connects the free inner opposed ends of said. recoil spring; of a support over which said Asling is free to slide.

10. The combination with a vehiclespring l l having a inain spring; coil spring which extends. lengthwise thereof and a suspensory device looped .through the free inner opposed-ends of the parts of the latter; of a support over which said suspensory device is free to slide.

11. The combination with a Vehicle spring having a main spring; a lat'two-part recoil spring which extends lengthwise thereof; and a sling which connects the free inner opposed ends of said recoil spring;.of a support from which said sling is hung.

12. vehicle spring having a inain spring; a recoil spring extending lengthwise thereof iindhaving its outer end fastened thereto; and yielding ineans carried by said inain spring and haring its outer end free'aiid connected with the free inner end of said recoil spring. ,A

13. A vehicle spring havinga main spring; a'two-part recoil spring extending lengthwise thereof and having its outer ends'fastened thereto; and yieldingineans carried by said iinainrspring andhaving its free outer ends connected to the free opposed inner ends of said recoil sprint.

, 1i. A vehicle spring having a nialn spr1ng; v

a twopart recoil spring extending lengthwise thereof and having its outer end fastened thereto; and yielding means carried by said inain spring and having its freeiouter ends connected to tliefree opposed inner ends of said recoil spring; in combination with a flexible suspensory device connected to the last-nanied'ends and adapted to suspend the saine from the "chicle frarne.-

Signed at Fresno, California, this 25th day of October in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

THOMAS A. HOOVER.

Vi tiicsses J. F. LOVE, BLANCHE ViLsoN. 

